Reddit, the "front page of the Internet," is a social behemoth of a site that lets people instantly create or join a web community about any topic. Users submit links or text posts and others vote them up or down based on how interesting they find the content. This leaves you with a prioritized list of what people in a community find most interesting at any given moment.

If you didn't already know, Reddit's engagement is massive. In the whole of 2012, it saw 37 billion pages served to 400 million unique visitors. Redditors voted 4 billion times, an average of 133 per post.

We can't help but feel like the quality guidelines for how to behave on the site have quite a bit to do with these impressive statistics. Check them out - not only do many of them make good rules for your offline life, knowing them can keep you from getting your account banned.

Use proper grammar and spelling.

Pick your reason, it doesn't matter - proper grammar and spelling matter because it's 1). better to be understood than misunderstood, 2). important to use a standardized system of communication with agreed-upon rules, 3). demonstrates a level of care and intelligence towards what you're writing.

Be receptive to polite corrections as well. It'll only make you a better communicator.

3/

Search for duplicates before posting.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
REUTERS/Brian Snyder

No one likes a visit to the Department of Redundancy Department. You add far more value when you share a brand new something than when you post a YouTube compilation of people falling down for the seventh time. (It's still hilarious after seven times, though.)

This also extends to posting hoaxes. Check Snopes.com first.

4/

Don't engage in illegal activity.

Getty Images/Andrew Burton

This should be a pretty reasonable expectation. Don't buy or sell stolen stuff. Don't plot murders. Use common sense lest you end up like these poor souls in the picture to the right.

Don't be a complainer.

Complaining does very little to make a discussion more interesting or relevant. Low-content comments that whine about reposted material or being downvoted aren't interesting to read.

Express you displeasure by voting instead.

8/

Don't submit a post in all caps!

NBC Olympics

It's shouting. Mellow out.

9/

Don't go on a posting rampage.

Slow down there, chief.
Jeff Zelevansky

If you bombard Reddit with too many posts in too short an amount of time, you can be called out by the spam filter. Keep at it longer and your account can be blocked in such a way that no one sees your posts except you.